Rainy Day Lovers
by good ole days
Summary: For many years the storm god has reigned over Anora. The prophets said that the rain would only be stopped when the daughter of the sun cried for help. Based on a Japanese folktale.
1. Rain again

Tsubame sat on the floor, her back against the wall of her room in the dojo. She listened to the thunder of rain against the roof. Her whitewashed walls were covered with velum maps from around the world. Her wooden floor was bare except for a dresser and a mattress in the corner of the room. The wooden training sword she always used during lessons with Miss Kaoru, the woman who owned the dojo and taught the sword lessons, was in her hand. The hilt rested on her shoulder, like a guard's when he is on duty. Miss Kaoru was also the one who rented out rooms to two of her three students, Tsubame and Yahiko. The room was shadowed and gloomy because of the absence of any candles or oil lamps in the room.

_It's raining again! _She thought. _The prophets say that soon seven years will have passed since the sun goddess smiled on Anora. _With this thought held in her mind, she fell asleep. Her back slid from the wall, and she curled into a ball, still holding the sword.

It was true. The gods had cursed Anora, a country that had seen peace in the last 15 centuries, for the last seven years. Only Anora had been affected, the rain abruptly stopping at its borders. At first, the rain had been a blessing after a two-year drought. But now…

Outside, on the porch, a boy tiptoed towards her door. His hair was a flaxen blonde and his eyes were bluer than the sky. His body was slim, and there was not an inch of fat on his body; instead it was covered with toned muscle. He silently slid open the door and peeked inside. He let out a sigh of relief and went in. The boy knelt by Tsubame's sleeping body and smiled.

By human standards (as both gods and beasts have standards of beauty, but no one ever seems to care for their opinion), Tsubame was not that beautiful, but to him she shone like the sun. In a feral pageant, Tsubame would have been a shoe in for "beauty queen" or "little miss," as her beauty had a feral quality about it. Of course, in the immortal realm, her beauty was laughable, yet she resembled the sun goddess. Yahiko looked at her silky midnight colored hair. Her eyes, which were closed right now, consisted of every shade of green, from new grass to the needles of firs in dark forests. Her slim nose and stubborn chin gave her an arrogant look, as though she knew she should be in a better place. When she struck a fighting pose, her stance and the determined glow in her eyes might mislead you to think she was a haughty person, which was what she wanted you to think. Of course, when no one was looking, she sang with birds and cut roses for a vase on her dresser.

The boy talked to Tsubame's slumbering body; he had done this since she had arrived, stirred by some unknown force. "Hello. I read your notes to go to the shrine of the sun goddess. Your packing details are extremely precise. I'm coming with you, I've decided." This wasn't what he always said, but he had deemed it an appropriate topic for today.

Tsubame had been thrown out of the realm of sleep when Yahiko, the boy, had started talking. She turned to look at him, hiding a smile. She opened her eyes and stuck out her tongue at him. She frowned as he broke into a comical grin. "Why are you in _my _room and why were you reading my travel logs?" She sat up slowly and gracefully and stretched in a very feline way (you see what I mean by feral).

"I knew you were up to something. You were slipping during sword practice and during meals you always had a blank look on your face. That's not a real reason though, since it is pretty constant- Ow! Hey that hurt!" Yahiko rubbed his arm where Tsubame had slapped him. "Miss Kaoru and the 'boyfriend' noticed it too."

Tsubame smiled at Yahiko's last remark. The "boyfriend" was the Wizard Kenshin. He had gained Master status, as a swordsman, at the age of 22 and Wizard at 28. Many statuette shops had statues of the god of war based on Kenshin's figure: tall, buff, and flame headed. Miss Kaoru was their sword teacher. She was slender, curvaceous, and had fawn colored hair that glowed. Miss Kaoru and Kenshin both loved each other, but would never admit it to each other.

Tsubame yawned, " That still doesn't explain why you're in my room." She put her sword on Yahiko's shoulder and stood up. They walked outside and stood looked at the center courtyard.

Tsubame took a breath and sighed. She looked at the tulip tree by the outhouse and the courtyard with a koi pond and maple tree. She looked at the other side of the dojo where the kitchen was. During sword practice, you had to be careful not to back up to either the _egawa_, which was two feet above the ground, or the koi pond. Training was strenuous, but that was what she liked.

"Let's go get some food." Yahiko told her. He started walking towards the kitchen wondering what she was thinking.


	2. At the shrine

After they packed the food, they started on the trail to the sun shrine. The rain, though still falling, had subsided to its noon-time drizzle. Tsubame had packed the food in oil pack cloths to expel the rain, and Yahiko held an umbrella over heir heads. They walked in silence, keeping to their thoughts and looking at the dreary surroundings. The rain had washed all the color away until all that was left was a uniform gray. They arrived at the shrine late in the afternoon, with most of their food gone. The steps to the shrine were wet and Tsubame slipped once soaking herself and she blushed when she had to take Yahiko's hand to get up. Inside the shrine, the warm air made their spirits rise.

"We're finally in the shrine of the sun goddess," she mused. She liked the sun goddess. Tsubame was lean, strong, and hard, but the sun goddess was what Tsubame wished and aspired to be, beautiful, radiant, and needing care. The sun goddess helped crops grow. She played with the cattle while they grazed and with basking cats and reptiles. Sunlight told the fish to come up to the surface to make it easier for fishermen. The sun loved life.

Hours passed as Tsubame and Yahiko sat in the shrine and prayed. They talked sporadically, and then it stopped altogether. The sun sank in the sky and everything was silent except for the rain and the creak of trees under their heavy strain. Time seemed to be standing still, marked only by the drips of rain. Yahiko started to drift off and dream. He was tired after the long hike. Tsubame would wake him when it was time to go.

_Two years ago, he had walked the long steps to the Temple of Gods. He was in awe of the black marble floor covered with white veins. The pillars had gold inlay. The priests there had shown him statues of the many gods and kami. Behind an altar at the back of the temple, were three statues of the most powerful gods and goddesses. To the right of the altar, was a statue of the moon goddess, and on the left stood the storm god. In between the two other statues, standing a full head taller, was the sun goddess. He had learned about all of the gods and goddesses, from the weakest, to the most powerful. The priests talked about an oracle, that at the end of the seventh year of eternal rains, a daughter of the sun would ask her mother, the goddess, for help in her time of need. Although the sun goddess was distraught after being hurt by her brother, the storm god, she would help her daughter by overcoming the storm god by burning through the clouds of darkness. The storm god would be punished, and Anora would be prosperous for many more centuries. _

Now Yahiko's dream changed, to another point in the past: the day he first saw Tsubame.

_She had walked past the dojo at first, keeping her head down against the rain, and then she had turned around and peered through the spaces in the wrought iron gate. She looked tired, and her face was gaunt from lack of food. _

"_Hello there!" she had called to him. "I'm looking for the local sword academy."_

_He looked up from the ground he had been trying to sweep and replied, "This would be it."_

_Tsubame gave a yawn that seemed to last a lifetime and looked at him. Her eyes were tired. "Oh good." She fainted. _

_Yahiko ran to the gate and hurried to unlock it. He stepped outside and picked up the unconscious body and slung her over his shoulder like a sack of grain. Then he brought her inside. _

_After a week of pacing, hurrying, and watching over, Tsubame finally gained consciousness. The only fact that allowed Yahiko to believe she was still alive, was her pulse. When she had gotten adequate nutrition, Tsubame had told Yahiko, Miss Kaoru, and Kenshin about her past and why she had wanted to find a sword academy. At the time, Yahiko had had a dearth of interest in Tsubame's history and hadn't cared to remember anything. Besides, he only cared about the present; the past was over and done with._

_Tsubame had been given a spot at the school, and free room and board for as long as she was at the school. That was all that mattered._


	3. Troubled Sleep

Yahiko opened his eyes and blinked. He rubbed the sleep from them to look around. He was with Tsubame at the sun goddess shrine. It was dark, the only light made by a small fire he supposed Tsubame had made. Unfortunately, the fire made the darkness outside the ring of light seem darker. He looked at Tsubame and found she was shivering as she slept. He pulled her close to his body and started stripping off her wet outer garments. He went no further when he saw her flannel shirt and pants. Even though it would be more convenient for her if their skin was touching, he knew if he went any further, she would skin him alive. Truth be told, she would probably skin him alive for going as far as he had. He moved her body so that their curves melted into the other's. Then he pulled the blanket over them and was pleased when her shivering immediately stopped.

His nose was near her hair and he took in its fragrance. Lavender. He smiled as he listened to her breathing. Without knowing it, his breathing synchronized with Tsubame's. They would set out for home when the rain had subsided to a mist. A few minutes later he was asleep, feeling more at peace than he ever had.

Near midnight, Tsubame started to feel uncomfortably hot, and her body was shaking. She turned around to see Yahiko right beside her and blushed in the darkness. But why was she so hot? On a motherly impulse, she put her palm on his forehead. She took it off quickly, startled that she had burnt her hand.

Her ears pricked at a noise in the distance.It sounded like Miss Kaoru and Kenshin. They were calling her name, along with Yahiko's. She gave a quick prayer to the sun goddess and prodded the smoldering embers to reheat the fire. She added the kindling she had brought with her, just in case she couldn't find her way back to the shrine. She put on her over clothes and ran out into the fierce rain. When he was well she would skin him alive.

Tsubame ran blindly out into the night, batting at the rain to make it easier to see. She wished she had brought a lantern, or at least an umbrella. The trees around her were dark and ominous. They loomed over her like the jaws of a menacing creature. Everything looked the same and she thought she was running in circles. Tears ran down her cheeks, but whether they were her own tears of desperation or the rain that hurled down at her she couldn't say (and neither can I so stop asking!).

She ran towards the voices hoping that she would find the callers. Finally she heard Kenshin saying, "Look, there she is!"

Tsubame turned towards the voice but tripped over a root. Right before she hit the ground Kenshin caught her, but the blow was harder than it would've been if she _had_ fallen on the ground.

Kenshin helped Tsubame to her feet, and let her lean on a nearby tree, the breath knocked out of her. She stuttered, "A-Yahiko! Yahiko-he's hot-so cold. Have to help- at shrine." Small red and black dots crowded at the outside of her vision.

"Oh no! Catch her," shouted Miss Kaoru, who had caught up to Kenshin.

Those were the last words Tsubame heard as the ground rushed up to meet her.

Back at the shrine, Yahiko's breathing became shallow. His eyes opened, but he saw nothing but darkness. He thrashed under the blanket and suddenly stilled. His head fell back onto the floor as he fell into a tormented sleep.


	4. For Yahiko

Kenshin shook Tsubame's limp body and swore loudly. He sighed, and said, "The doctor is at the dojo. Tell her to go to the shrine and look at Yahiko. It sounds like he has a terribly high fever."

Miss Kaoru stared at him dreamily. She loved it when Kenshin took charge of a situation so calmly like that, he always knew what to do. His level head had allowed him to help the country in many battles. She watched as he slung Tsubame over his back, looking at her with the smallest bit of envy.

Kenshin turned around and faced Miss Kaoru, startled that his wishes had not been carried out. "Hurry." was all he said before he raced off into the night.

Kenshin, with Tsubame on his back, traveled quickly to the dojo. Of course, the unconscious body of Tsubame would not know this. She also would not know that no drop of rain fell on either her or Kenshin. Also, their rapid pace was faster than any man could travel with an unconscious body on their back, even one with god-like speed. As they raced forward, Kenshin wondered about the strange phenomenagoing on.

By the time Tsubame and Kenshin reached the dojo, Tsubame had gained semi-consciousness. Once inside the walls of the enormous dojo, Tsubame jumped off Kenshin's back and ran towards her and Yahiko's bedroom. Kenshin went to find Miss Megumi, the village doctor, so she could pack her things and leave as soon as Miss Kaoru arrived. At the bedrooms, Tsubame grabbed two bed mats and three heavy blankets. She put the bedding by her door and then dashed off to the kitchen for some food.

Onigiri with a salmon _umeboshi_ and hoisan sauce were sitting on the _kotatsu_, which Tsubame gobbled up quickly. She then went back to her room to retrieve the bedding. After that she ran through the open gate and on towards the shrine.

Kenshin, the legendary war hero, had always been complimented on his god like speed. Yet now, he was struggling to keep up with a child! Worse yet was the fact that Tsubame had never show any interest in running or speed, except when it came to the speed of her sword swing. As soon as Tsubame had gotten off his back, the rain had once again drenched him, but she was still dry. Kenshin wasn't sure what was going on, but he would find out.

When they got to the shrine, Tsubame unfolded Yahiko's bed and put him onto it. She covered him with a blanket and prayed to the sun goddess. Though time had passed quickly before, it seemed like eons had passed before Miss Kaoru and Miss Megumi had arrived. Miss Megumi had needed to return home to gather supplies before venturing towards the shrine.

After Miss Megumi had finished her routine check-up on Yahiko, she concluded with false bravado, "He has a high fever, higher than I've ever seen. The most I believe we can do at the moment is sweat the fever out."

Then everyone started hustling around the confines of the shrine. Everyone was doing something: rebuilding a fire, collecting rain water in a pot, and tearing strips of cloth to put in the boiling water and then on Yahiko. All Tsubame could do was kneel by Yahiko and brush her fingertips across his cheek.

Tsubame prayed as she looked at Yahiko's face, streaked with sweat. She asked the sun goddess to shine on the world. She asked for the sun to burn through the thick clouds with a torrid heat. She wanted Yahiko to get better and the sun goddess would hear her plea. Unknowingly, Tsubame cried herself to sleep.


	5. Sun Goddess

_Yahiko lay flat on the ground in a grassy field. The wind blew lightly, brushing the hair out of his closed eyes. He looked like a corpse ready to be put in the tomb. His skin had a deathly pallor. The Sun goddess was kneeling in front of him. The Sun goddess/Tsubame opened her eyes and felt Yahiko's forehead. She pulled her hand away quickly, licking the blisters she had acquired on her fingertips. He had died, but his body was as fiery as ever. Maybe he wasn't dead. Some fluffy clouds moved, letting rays of sunlight fall all around them, creating a golden ring. The Sun goddess/Tsubame pressed her lips to Yahiko's, wondering why she was kissing a corpse (or at least a feverish person). She once again felt his forehead. Her blisters healed, and she knew he was dead from the considerable temperature drop; his temperature was at a normal body heat. _

_In her head she heard a whisper, "Do not be afraid, daughter."_


	6. Sleeping Beauty

Startled, Tsubame woke up, looking into the dreary world of endless rain. She glanced at Kenshin, Miss Megumi and Miss Kaoru's sleeping bodies. They had stayed awake for hours, to no avail. Yahiko started thrashing in his fever induced comatose. The whites of his eyes showed in a blind gaze. Tsubame struggled to pin his flailing limbs and settle Yahiko's body. She looked at Yahiko's feverish form, tears racing down her cheeks. Finally she closed her eyes and told herself, "Do not be afraid." She bent down and pressed her lips to his.

Yahiko's eyes closed and opened once again to see Tsubame kissing him. She broke her kiss and started crying again. Yahiko lifted a finger to her cheek and stopped a tear in its track. Her eyes opened and she gasped. He smiled and pulled her closer to him in another kiss.

Tsubame started to cry in happiness. Out of breath she gasped, "Hello, Sleeping Beauty. I thought I had lost you."

They both giggled and Yahiko kissed her again. Kenshin opened an eye, but decided to go back to sleep rather than disturb the two lovers. As long as it didn't interfere with their training he would let the matter rest. Knowing Tsubame, she could beat Yahiko black-and blue in a match and then kiss him afterwards as if nothing had happened… He looked at Miss Kaoru and wondered whether he would ever kiss her.

Yahiko turned to see the sky and sat up. "Look," he whispered, trying not to shout. "The sun is shining!"

They ran out into the sun and laughed. The trees and grass and everything steamed from the sudden change in temperature. The rain had stopped and the sky was free of clouds. Tsubame's prayers had been answered.

When they had finished kissing once again (cheesy rice! And before they thought the other was just a "friend"), Tsubame reminded Yahiko about last night. He laughed and put his arm around her waist. Tsubame wrapped her arm around his waist and said, "I still have to skin you alive. That won't put a damper on our friendship, will it?"

They grinned at each other and went inside the shrine to wake the others.


End file.
